Kyocera teases durable yet affordable Sapphire Shield display

Many iPhone fans are waiting with bated breath to see if Apple‘s next smartphone will indeed sport that much desired sapphire glass display. It seems, however, that whether or not the iPhone 6 boasts this material is no longer relevant to Kyocera‘s business plans. The Japanese electronics manufacturer has just put up a video teaser, claiming that it has more street creds to make sapphire displays not just a reality but also a financially feasible option.

Apple has captutred the imagination, and to a very small extent, the ridicule, of the mobile industry when rumors about a sapphire glass toting iPhone 6 started to pour in. Although Apple already employs the scratch and shatter resistant material in previous iPhone generations, it only applied a small amount enough to cover small components and not the entire screen. The biggest criticism about this very desirable material is that it is far too expensive to produce in small sizes and large quantities. Kyocera, however, might be hiding a solution up its sleeve.

In its “pre-announcement” video of Sapphire Shield, it plays on its experience in using sapphire glass, to be specific, 41 years of manufacturing synthetic sapphire. That said, its experience was mostly applied to electronics components, watches, and bulbs, never before in the same surface area as a smartphone. But that is exactly what Kyocera is claiming to have accomplished with Sapphire Shield. It boasts that it has in its possession a truly affordable, pure sapphire display. That is definitely enough to generate some hype and interest around what the company is potentially offering. What that offer is remains unknown, as the video below barely tells you anything of significance about it.

This announcement comes on the heels of last week’s leak where a certain Kyocera Sapphire smartphone was pitted against another that is said to be outfitted with only scratch-resistant glass, most likely Corning’s. The lab test, or perhaps more aptly called a torture test, demonstrates exactly how strong the material is, even under the most extreme circumstances. You can see it for yourself in the video below, though those who cannot stomach smartphones in distress will be advised to turn away.

What isn’t known yet is what exactly Kyocera plans to do with Sapphire Shield. It will most likely be used in some of Kyocera’s future smartphones, which already have a reputation for being extremely rugged. There is, however, also a possibility that Kyocera will turn this into a business of its own, supplying sapphire glass displays the way Corning does with Gorilla Glass. Kyocera’s teaser says that Sapphire Shield will be coming soon, but other manufacturers might already have its number on speed dial by now.